Until recently most people thought Dracula was a creation of film and fiction. With the original publication of In Search of Dracula, the actual historical figure of Prince Vlad of Transylvania - better known as Vlad the Impaler - was rediscovered, and readers were introduced to one of the darkest figures of Eastern European history and folklore.

Out of print for more than a decade, In Search of Dracula has now been completely rewritten and updated. This new edition includes entries from Bram Stoker's newly discovered diaries, the amazing tale of Nicolae Ceausescu's attempt to make Vlad a Romanian national hero, and a comprehensive examination of recent adaptations of the Dracula story in novels, on stage, and on screen.

For a member of the undead, Dracula has enjoyed a vibrant and ubiquitous life for the past century. Even more enduring and powerful a creation than Sherlock Holmes - with whom he shares similar late-Victorian popular literary origins - the Count continues to fascinate with his distinctive mixture of blood, sex, and death.